Former FBI deputy directer says photo of shooting suspect reveals insight into his plan
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man who tried to kidnap Princess Royal in 1974 claims innocence after release
The gunman who attempted to kidnap the Princess Royal in 1974 has claimed he is innocent nearly six years after his release from a secure hospital, according to a report. Ian Ball tried to abduct Anne and her then-husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace on March 20 1974. The princess kept her cool and when Ball, then 26, told her to 'come with me for a day or two' because he wanted £2 million, she replied 'not bloody likely, and I haven't got £2 million'. The Daily Mail reported that Ball was released from Broadmoor Hospital on probation in 2019 and has subsequently self-published an autobiographical novel called To Kidnap A Princess. In an interview with the newspaper, Ball, now 77, said: 'I'm an innocent, sane man because I had good reason to believe the gunpowder had been taken out of the bullets and another girl had been substituted for Princess Anne.' Discussing Anne, Ball said: 'She wasn't bothered on the night. 'I didn't scare her. I was more scared than she was.' The description of Ball's book on Amazon reads that it 'opens with the dramatic and thrilling attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne' and details the author's 'eventful and turbulent 45-year stay in Rampton and Broadmoor criminal lunatic asylums'. It adds: 'The book is an emotive read and it will make you laugh, make you cry, shock you even, but ultimately it will leave you in wonder at the indomitability of the human spirit.' Ball pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey in May 1974 to charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnap and was detained without time limit under the Mental Health Act. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Restricted patients can be recalled back to hospital if their mental health deteriorates to such a level that the risk they pose becomes unmanageable in the community.' Anne, who was 23 at the time of the attempted kidnapping, later said she was 'furious at this man who was having a tug of war with me' and for ripping her favourite blue velvet dress. Anne's father, Prince Philip, later quipped of the attempted kidnapping: 'If the man had succeeded in abducting Anne, she would have given him a hell of a time in captivity.' Ball had blocked the princess's car with his own as it drove along the Mall and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap her. The princess and Captain Phillips were unhurt during the late-night ambush but Anne's bodyguard, chauffeur, a police constable and a journalist were all shot by Ball, who was armed with two revolvers. Anne's bodyguard, former Metropolitan Police inspector Jim Beaton, was awarded the George Cross after being shot three times as he protected Anne. Passer-by, former heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell punched Ball twice in the head as he tried to kidnap the princess. For his bravery Mr Russell was awarded the George Medal by Queen Elizabeth II, who told him: 'The medal is from the Queen, but I want to thank you as Anne's mother.' Discussing the incident, Mr Russell previously said Ball was trying to drag Anne from her car while her husband was pulling her back. 'She was very, very together, telling him, 'Just go away and don't be such a silly man',' he said. 'He stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him. I hit him as hard as I could – if he had been a tree he would have fallen over – and he was flat on the floor face down.'
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ghislaine Maxwell moved from Florida to minimum-security prison in Texas
Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly been moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida to the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp Bryan in southeast Texas. The move, first reported by The New York Sun on Friday, comes a week after Maxwell's meetings with U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — President Donald Trump's former personal attorney — regarding dozens of people allegedly connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The pair spoke over a period of two days, during which Maxwell indicated she would testify before Congress if granted full immunity from future prosecution, among other conditions including a presidential pardon. It's not clear why the 63-year-old convict was transferred, though the 'sweetheart' deal places Maxwell in a prison that puts her much closer to her family, according to the Daily Beast. The Bureau of Prisons couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Its online inmate tracker didn't list a location for Maxwell as of Friday afternoon. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 'for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade,' according to the Justice Department. She's appealing her conviction. The president's association with the pair has been under heavy scrutiny amid public demands for the DOJ to release the so-called 'Epstein files,' as well as reports that Trump was once close friends with the billionaire, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Trump told New York magazine in 2002 that he enjoyed spending time with Epstein. 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' he told the magazine. Trump has since called Epstein a 'creep' and distanced himself from the sex offender, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitutes including a minor. Earlier this week, the president claimed he and Epstein had a falling out many years ago after the disgraced financier 'stole' teenage employee Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago club, where she worked in the spa in 2000. Giuffre later became one of Epstein's most vocal sex abuse accusers. She died by suicide in April, according to her family, who believe Trump may know more about Epstein's alleged activities than he's telling. Giuffre is not known to have accused Trump of wrongdoing, and he's denied any impropriety involving Epstein and Maxwell. Giuffre's family members and two other alleged Epstein victims sent a statement to media outlets condemning Maxwell's prison transfer. 'President Trump has sent a clear message today: Pedophiles deserve preferential treatment and their victims do not matter,' the statement said. A Trump administration official told one NBC News reporter the any assertion Maxwell is getting preferential treatment is 'absurd,' saying prisoners are often moved for a multitude of reasons including safety concerns. FPC Bryan offers the lowest level of restrictions in the federal prison system — a step down from the low-security FCI Tallahassee that Maxwell was previously in. Camp Bryan famously houses convicted Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star Jen Shah, who was convicted in 2023 of running a nearly decade-long nationwide telemarketing scam. _____
Fox News
10 minutes ago
- Fox News
Comer OKs delay for Ghislaine Maxwell's congressional testimony, denies immunity request
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is delaying Ghislaine Maxwell's planned deposition until after the Supreme Court weighs her request to overturn her conviction, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. Committee investigators were set to travel to a Tallahassee prison for an Aug. 11 sit-down with Maxwell after lawmakers voted to subpoena her over her close ties to late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter sent to Comer earlier this week, Maxwell's lawyer claimed she "did not receive a fair trial" and petitioned to delay the deposition date until after her case before the Supreme Court was resolved. "On July 30, the U.S. Supreme Court noticed that your petition for writ of certiorari will be considered at its conference on September 29. In light of this notice, the Committee is willing to delay your deposition until a date following the Court's certiorari determination," Comer wrote on Friday. According to the Kentucky Republican's letter, Maxwell's lawyer warned she would invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering any questions unless certain conditions were met. "These conditions include: (1) a grant of immunity, (2) the deposition occurring outside of FCI Tallahassee, (3) access to the Committee's questions in advance, and (4) the conclusion of your recent appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and potential future habeas petition," Comer wrote. He denied her requests for congressional immunity and to get the questions in advance, but wrote the committee would continue to "engage in good faith negotiations." Comer also vowed the committee would honor its "long-standing practice of engaging in forthright and detailed discussions about scoping." The subpoena was issued to Maxwell after a unanimous vote by both Republicans and Democrats on the committee in late July. The motion to subpoena Maxwell was offered by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. "Your testimony is vital to the Committee's efforts regarding Mr. Jeffrey Epstein, including the 2007 non-prosecution agreement and the circumstances surrounding Mr. Epstein's death," Comer wrote. "These investigative efforts may be used to inform potential legislation to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations." The letter comes hours after Fox News learned Maxwell was transferred from Florida to a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas. Congressional investigators are looking to speak with Maxwell over her longstanding close ties to Epstein, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died by suicide at a jail in New York City in 2019. Maxwell herself was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 "for her role in a scheme to sexual exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade," according to a press release by the Southern District of New York. In the delay request, Maxwell's attorney argued that "Any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool." Maxwell already met with federal investigators last week when Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sat down with her in Tallahassee at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi said in a statement announcing the meeting, "President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say." Maxwell's lawyers told Fox News in response to Comer's letter, "We acknowledge Chairman Comer's letter and appreciate the Committee's willingness to delay Ms. Maxwell's deposition while her case is pending before the Supreme Court. We will continue to engage with Congress in good faith to find a way for Ms. Maxwell to share her information without compromising her constitutional right."
